Family
by HarginHerron
Summary: All Severus wants is a family....:Canon, set time relatively unknown.


The small family of four walked speedily through King's Cross Train Station with an immense amount of luggage, three carts toppling with trunks and bags. The mother, a red-haired beauty with green eyes brighter than fresh spring grass, had a hand on two of the carts' handles, helping two children push them along. The father, a man with a sloped nose and dark eyes and hair, pushed his cart alone behind the rest of his family, even thought his cart had the extra weight of a caged owl. When his face was expressionless, he was quite unattractive. However, a mere smile made the man handsome and dashing. The mother glanced up at a clock with a hint of worry as they past by—10:45.  
She called back to her husband, "Will we make it in time?"  
He chuckled, "Don't worry, Lily, we're more than fine. Look. We're here." The four of them slowed in front of a brick column. The father stated, "Caspian, you go with your mother. Catherine can go with me."  
The boy nodded with the assurance of a man twice his age and took his mother's hand. They looked both ways and quickly walked through the wall.  
The father looked down at his daughter. She had inherited the worst things she could from her father: an oily scalp, dark hair that made the grease even more noticeable, and the unsightly nose. The girl was looking down at her hands, which were tightly gripping on her cart. "Ready, Cathy?" he asked. She nodded, not looking up. He took the fast glimpses of both sides then said, "Go!" The father and daughter did the same as mother and son.  
On the other side of the brick wall, several families also with carts filled to capacity were there. They were all loading their luggage onto a scarlet train  
.The father and Catherine walked over with carts in tow to where Lily and Caspian were waiting, the boy with a medium duffel in hand. Caspian was a perfect mix of his parents: dark auburn hair and a nice, button nose like his mother; strong facial features (except the nose) and deep chocolate eyes on the brink of black from his father. The boy's personality was one of strength and independence, but also cunning. The way he presented himself to the world, one could hardly believe the boy was a mere eleven years old. "Me and Mum already loaded my stuff."  
"I'll get mine and Catherine's loaded while you and she say goodbye to your mother," he said.  
The father struggled for a few feet with the two carts until a man with black, unruly hair and glasses came up behind and started helping push one of the carts. The father sneered a little then let the man take full control. The two pushed the carts in silence for a few seconds until they reached the loading part of the train.The father finally said as he pushed the first trunk into place, "James Potter…."  
"Snivel….I mean, Severus Snape. How goes it?"  
The father smiled. "Well, the twins are first years."  
"Really? So's mine. But I only have one. A boy. Harry."  
"Is he every bit as self-centered as you?"  
"Now, Severus, let bygones be bygones! " James patted Severus on the back. The two were already finished, and all that was left on the carts were the owl and two medium duffels. James took the two bags while Severus grapped the handle of the owl. "You know, that stuff between us, that was eons ago! I mean, you still ended up with Evans in the end. And I managed to meet Isabelle, and now each of us men have happy little families! Of course…," James' voice lowered to a whisper, "if I hear you're unfairly taking points from my boy, I might have to fly to Hogwarts and re-enact the old days with you…." Severus's eyes widened with fear and anger, and James guffawed as he playfully elbowed Severus. "Just kidding, mate! I wouldn't want to embarrass the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher in front of his students!"  
The two men were now standing in front of Lily, Caspian, and Catherine. James practically tumbled Lily with a hug and exclaimed, "Evans! It's been ages!" Lily drawled as she straightened her robes, "Potter, we're both Aurors. We've worked together for years. We see each other basically everyday. And if I've told you once, I've told you a million times—I'm a Snape now." She ended with a beaming smile directed towards Severus, and he felt his heart burst into an unimaginable number of pieces. Oh, how he loved her.  
James sighed, put the two duffels on the ground, then turned to Severus. He held out his hand. "Truce, old chap?"  
Severus stared at the hand then shook it. "I suppose."  
James grinned, "Good! See you!" and headed off to his exotic Italian wife and his son, a carbon copy of his father except with a darker complexion.  
Caspian stated, "I'm getting on the train!" With a gleam in his eye reminiscent of his mother, he ran off to the train.  
Catherine stood there, staring at her shoes as she often did. She was intensely shy. Lily looked at her daughter and nodded to Severus, knowing this was only a crisis a father could settle for his little girl. Severus put his hand on Catherine's shoulder and crouched down.  
"You tell Mummy goodbye?" Catherine nodded.  
"You know, Cathy, Daddy's gonna be there right with you. Caspian, too. But, if you ever just wanna talk, you can come to Daddy's office." Severus put his hand under Catherine's chin and pushed it up. He always felt sorry that she got his nose. But she did receive her mother's facial characteristics and, most importantly, the bright green eyes. "No worry is too small or big for Daddy. After all, you're my little girl, and you always will be. Okay?"  
Catherine slowly smiled, and Severus couldn't be prouder. His daughter might not be beautiful at first sight, but when she smiled….well, one day he'd have to watch over her with an extremely close eye, but for now, he just smiled back. "Okay, Daddy." She meekly replied. She ran to the train with a new found enthusiasm.  
Lily sighed as Severus stood back up. "Oh, Sev, you won't have to come back for the kids. What will I do without you there every weekend? I'll miss you and the kids so much…"  
"Who says I always came back often only for the kids?" he slyly smiled.  
She mischeiviously hit his chest, but he caught her hand, held it over his heart, and pulled her into a kiss, one with a history of love and compassion behind it.  
"Oh, Severus……Severus……."

"……Severus…..SEVERUS!!!!"  
The Potions teacher jerked up with a start. There in front of him stood the menacing Minerva McGonagall with a taper in hand.  
"Severus! Asleep at your desk? With candles light? Why, if you had fallen onto one of them…."  
"I understand. No more grading horrid Potions essays late at night. What time is it anyway?"  
"A few after midnight."  
"I see. Thank you for waking me, Minerva."  
She huffed and muttered incoherently as she left the dungeon. Snape gathered all the parchments, put them in a nearby bag, and blew four of the five candles out. He grabbed the last one, and as quick as time permit him, walked to his sleeping quarters. He wanted more of that dream…..that family…..


End file.
